Background

Cochrane Systematic Reviews are helping to change practice the world over. Many Nigerians are now involved in conducting Cochrane systematic reviews. Unmistakably, Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa.

 

Systematic reviews require time and skills and people who do reviews require support to do it well. The Cochrane Collaboration through the Cochrane Centres and review groups provides support to people who do systematic reviews.

 

The Cochrane Centres are particularly important because people in the areas or countries where they are located benefit from their services. The South African Cochrane Centre (SACC) is the only centre providing support for people conducting systematic reviews in Africa at the moment.

 

To bring the services nearer to the people who are doing reviews, the SACC established a branch in Nigeria in February 2006.  The Director of the branch, Prof. Martin Meremikwu was in South Africa in March 2006 to attend the Advisory Board Meeting of the SACC and also to interact with the staff members of the Centre. The visit afforded him the opportunity to learn vital administrative procedures of the center.

 

The Nigerian Branch of the SACC aims to promote the aims and activities of The Cochrane Collaboration in Nigeria and to provide support to Nigerian contributors to The Cochrane Collaboration

 

Objectives

• To increase the number of high quality, up-to-date Cochrane systematic reviews relevant to the African region by
•  Facilitating the preparation of systematic reviews of health care interventions in the African region
• Providing training and support to Nigeria-based authors of Cochrane reviews

• To promote the science of research synthesis by
• Helping researchers, health workers and policy makers to acquire basic skills in research synthesis and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) through short courses, seminars, workshops and interactive distant learning opportunities on the Internet

• To promote access to Cochrane systematic reviews and derivative products by
•  Promoting the use of The Cochrane Library through the Nigerian Federal and State Ministries of health, and working towards access to The Cochrane Library for Nigerians
•  Providing access to the results of Cochrane reviews through dissemination of Cochrane derivative products (plain language summaries, critical appraisal and invited summaries)

• To promote evidence-based practice and policy in the African region by
• Raising awareness about Evidence-based Health Care
• Promoting the use of research in health care decision making

• To promote the optimal functioning and sustainable growth of The Cochrane Collaboration by
• Establishing links with Cochrane contributors in West Africa and promoting collaboration with other countries in the region
• Hand searching to identify trials in Nigerian and sub-regional journals not indexed in Medline
• Establishing a website for the branch and encouraging Nigerian Cochrane contributors to access resources in evidence-based health care including sources available though HINARI